I have a confession to make. When it comes to getting around the
globe, I won't mince words. I'm a pro. But as for actually being in a
foreign country, meeting people and getting to know the locals? Well,
that's always been a bit of a problem. See, I'm what you'd call
linguistically impaired, as anyone who's heard my French can tell
you. So when I go abroad or even to parts of New York, Texas or Los
Angeles, it's safe to say, I do not speak their language.
For this week's Travelers' Aid, I want to look at what you can do
when you don't know the native tongue. I called Conner Gorry. She
writes about Central and South America for the Lonely Planet
Guidebooks and even though she speaks Spanish, she often finds
herself in places where she can't communicate, places where
Portuguese, or Indian languages predominate. I asked Connor how she
gets around when she's linguistically impaired.
And while we're on the topic of language, a large part of
communicating is done non-verbally through body language. According
to one study, up to 80 percent of what you say about yourself is done
entirely without words! Dean Foster is an expert in these hidden
forms of communication and what and what not to do when you go to
different cultures. He's written two books, the Global Etiquette
Guides to Europe and Asia. Dean tells me there are some pretty basic
things Americans do, that don't always go over too well.
Listen to what these communication experts have to say.
{ Travelers' Aid Index }
